Is Your Nursing VR Experience Hitting the Mark? Here’s How to Tell

Your learner pulls on their PPE, steps into the patient’s room, and immediately shifts into nurse mode. They mentally run through the assessment they need to complete. The learner greets the patient, confirms their identity, and checks the chart. They move through each step with confidence: they check glucose, verify the insulin order, prepare the dose, confirm the patient’s identity, clean the site, administer insulin, document, and monitor the patient’s response.

Then the learner removes their headset and steps back into the classroom or hospital.

That entire experience took place in virtual reality in UbiSim. And yet, for those few minutes, it felt real. The learner wasn’t embarrassed to make mistakes or fearful of messing up. They were just… a nurse. That’s the level of immersive realism you should expect from your simulation platform—and that’s how you know your VR experience is truly hitting the mark.

So what does that “mark” actually look like?

Your Learners Are Practicing Nursing, Not Figuring Out a System

When your learner enters a VR scenario, their focus should be on the patient, not on trying to decode the technology. They shouldn’t have to learn a game mechanic or follow a sequence of clicks just to administer medication. And they shouldn’t be reminded they’re in a simulation every time a floating menu appears in front of them. That breaks immersion. It breaks presence. And worst of all, it pulls them out of the mindset of a practicing nurse.

With UbiSim, there are no unnecessary hurdles. Whether your learners are tech pros or brand new to VR, they can intuitively jump right in and start caring for patients. They interact naturally, reaching for the stethoscope, verifying medications, speaking with the patient, just like they would in the real world. There is no menu, no awkward cursor, no automatic animations—just real-time, hands-on, intuitive learning.

True Immersion = Real and Safe Learning

When learners are distracted by clunky interfaces or awkward interactions, the sense of immersion breaks—and so does the learning. Presence is the feeling of truly “being there” in a virtual environment. It’s a psychological state where learners become so immersed that they respond to the experience as if it were real, enabling deeper engagement and more effective learning (Interaction Design Foundation, 2024). 

UbiSim creates a learning environment where both the surroundings and the interactions feel authentic. That’s what allows learners to forget they’re in a sim lab or classroom—and instead feel like they’re right there in a clinical setting, making real-time decisions that matter. They’re talking to a distressed family member, managing a patient with preeclampsia, or urgently responding to signs of pediatric sepsis. It feels real because it is real learning.

It Feels Real Because Your Learner Is Doing It

There’s a big difference between watching a simulation and actively participating in one. With UbiSim, your learners don’t click through prompts—they’re making clinical decisions, performing assessments, and administering care. When a student finishes a scenario saying, “I actually felt like a nurse,” that’s by design.

Maybe they’ve just identified a preterm labor, positioned the patient correctly, administered the proper medications, and updated the provider, all in VR. These aren’t just actions; they’re critical decisions made in a safe, immersive environment. 

This level of engagement builds confidence and fosters psychological safety, which is essential for learning in simulation (Turner & Harder, 2018). With UbiSim, learners aren’t worried about making mistakes—they’re focused on thinking like nurses. The barrier to entry is low, the realism is high, and the learning sticks.

How Do You Know If Your VR Is Working?

Here’s a simple check: After the headset comes off, what are your learners talking about? Are they reflecting on how they could have better cared for the patient? Or are they asking questions about how to navigate the simulation?

If it’s the latter, it might be time to re-evaluate your VR solution.

At UbiSim, we’re proud to offer a platform that centers around nursing practice, realism, and learner growth. But don’t just take our word for it—see for yourself.

References

“What Is Presence in Virtual Reality (VR).” The Interaction Design Foundation, Interaction Design Foundation, 26 Nov. 2024, www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/presence?srsltid=AfmBOooV9SlMsKw_tVZIneVxt3dWvxaAIyXg6b4kIcYXhOaKzVETj6yj. 

Turner, Sufia, and Nicole Harder. “Psychological Safe Environment: A Concept Analysis.” Clinical Simulation in Nursing, vol. 18, no. 18, May 2018, pp. 47–55, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876139917301469, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2018.02.004.